Point 2 Point

Onions Point

Onions Point Visited in on 8 February 2009 Comment [1] View on map -33.83614345905156;151.17978751659393

Boat shed at Onions.
Looking north-east across the Lane Cove River to Greenwich.
Looking north-east across the Lane Cove River to Greenwich.

Quiet little point, probably more interesting for the houses around than the view from. It is distinguished by being on The Point Road.

Named after Samuel Onions, a land grantee and ironmonger. The suburb of Woolwich was originally called ‘Onion Point’ (1835). Here’s Mr Onions in a case of wilful and corrupt perjury – maybe why he got relegated to the tip. Before that, the place is ‘Mookaboola’ or ‘Moocooboola’ – meeting of waters (Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers).

The sea scouts boat shed in Onions Point Reserve is about as close as you can get to the actual point as there are a couple of grand houses on the point itself.

Clarkes Point

Clarkes Point Visited in on 8 February 2009 Comment [1] View on map -33.84294283807208;151.17417097091675

Looking north-east. Onions Point, Woolwich, is at left - find the boat shed. Across the Lane Cover River from Onions Point is Greenwich Park, with the towers of St Leonards on the ridge.
Looking east to Greenwich Point.
Yurulbin Point, with the tip of Balls Head on the left and the eastern suburbs in the distance.
Looking west down Clarkes Point Reserve to Woolwich Marina and Fern Bay.
Looking south to Cockatoo Island. No points in that puppy.
Old slipways.
Looking south across the mouth of the Parramatta River to Cockatoo Island.
Looking east across the mouth of the Parramatta River to Yurulbin Point, Birchgrove and the city.
Looking west-south-west to Drummoyne from just by the sailing club.
View south-west from the lookout above Woolwich Dock. Birkenhead Point and Marina is on the right, Snapper Island in the middle, Balmain with Sommerville Point to the left of Snapper, and a bit of Cockatoo Island left.
Woolwich Dock, looking east.
Woolwich Dock, looking east to Greenwich Point (middle-left) across the mouth of the Lane Cove River.

Named after a family of cabinet-makers, the Clarkes, who were granted the land in 1835. The biggest dry dock in Australia was opened in 1901 in the present reserve just north of the point. 85,000 cubic metres of sandstone was excavated – maybe some of that rock features in the venerable fences, gates and houses in Woolwich and Hunters Hill.

The area is being renewed by the Harbour Trust with walking tracks and helpful plaques. Due to surly 4 year old, when choosing between the Goat Paddock heritage trail or lunch at the Woolwich Pier Hotel, a beverage and oysters was the only option. We’ll head back to check out the pumphouse, workshops and other attractions another day.

Clarkes Point Reserve has BBQs and good facilities and looks like a killer place for a game of backyard (err… point-park?) cricket.